Ledbetter prioritizes constitutional amendment to put prayer back in school; Bill on House floor Tuesday

Apryl Marie Fogel | 03.09.26

https://1819news.com/news/item/ledbetter-prioritizes-constitutional-amendment-to-put-prayer-back-in-school-bill-on-house-floor-tuesday

House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) has fully endorsed State Rep. Reed Ingram's (R-Pike Road) bill to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to bring prayer back to schools. 

House Bill 511 (HB511) passed the House State Government Committee last week, despite testimony from a leftist who said that the United States is not a Christian nation.

"This bill will be on the House floor for a vote this coming Tuesday. It's time we put prayer back in our schools," Ledbetter wrote in a post on X.

"So, this country was built on God, we trust. My great-great-grandfather, that I was named after, Robert Tree Payne, signed the Declaration of Independence. And, I mean, this is what our foundation is, and I think we need to get back on that. where we are, where we started," Ingram explained during last week's committee meeting.

The first speaker in the public hearing portion of that committee was Kierra Burks, a first-year law student and the Communications and Programming Associate for Project Say Something.

RELATED: 'Prioritizing Western Christianity and the Bible': Liberal activist opposing Ingram prayer bill gets schooled on nation's Christian roots by committee members

"Prioritizing Western Christianity and the Bible in public schools is inherently divisive in the state where students come from many traditions and no faith at all. Public schools are supposed to belong to everyone. And when a government elevates one religious tradition in a public institution, it says a message about who belongs and who doesn't," Burks said.

The full House will vote on the bill on Tuesday. Watch on the livestream here.

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